Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 17, 2026Emmet County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2026, 9:15 PM CDT for Emmet County, Iowa. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2026, 9:15 PM CDT (02:15 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2026, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Emmet County, IA

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 158 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:15 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 17, 9:23 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 N Estherville, IA2-3 inch diameter limbs down. Time estimated via radar.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 17, 6:12 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 181 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2026-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2026-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 154 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1101 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
237 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

005 
WFUS53 KDMX 180215
TORDMX
IAC063-180245-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0039.260518T0215Z-260518T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
915 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Emmet County in northwestern Iowa...

* Until 945 PM CDT.

* At 915 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Fort Defiance State Park, or 5 miles southwest of
  Estherville, moving northeast at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Estherville and Fort Defiance State Park around 920 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Fort
Defiance State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4350 9464 4332 9491 4350 9491
TIME...MOT...LOC 0215Z 220DEG 38KT 4337 9494 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Donavon

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 8:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXCalhoun, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Sac56 min
May 17, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Sac56 min
May 17, 8:35 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas, Sac40 min
May 17, 8:59 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXEmmet, Palo Alto46 min
May 17, 9:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXCalhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas and 2 more43 min
May 17, 9:05 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXCalhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Webster, Wright40 min
May 17, 9:08 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXHumboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas52 min
May 17, 9:12 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCalhoun, Hamilton, Webster48 min
May 17, 9:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Dallas and 5 more79 min
May 17, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXCerro Gordo, Emmet, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth and 4 more62 min
May 17, 9:30 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXEmmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Winnebago45 min
May 17, 9:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Adams, Cass59 min
May 17, 9:35 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Hancock, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth40 min
May 17, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Webster and 1 more63 min
May 17, 9:45 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXFranklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Webster, Wright45 min
May 17, 9:56 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXHamilton, Hardin, Webster38 min
May 17, 10:07 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXCerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth38 min
May 17, 10:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXButler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hancock, Wright37 min
May 17, 10:19 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCerro Gordo26 min
May 17, 10:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Polk, Warren24 min
May 18, 10:51 AM CDTFlood WatchDMXAdams, Clarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Taylor, Union and 1 more16 hr
May 18, 5:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams, Taylor56 min
May 18, 5:40 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXTaylor65 min
May 18, 6:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Taylor, Union53 min
May 18, 6:31 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXRinggold, Taylor59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.